Everything Visitors Need to Know about Gambling in New Zealand

Gambling is a popular pastime in New Zealand, both on land and online. For visitors who are planning a trip to at least one of the country’s casinos during their stay, having an understanding of the options and the rules beforehand can help make the experience an even better one. They can expect to have a fun and exciting time without the embarrassment of not knowing what to expect.

Casinos in New Zealand

There are six land casinos in New Zealand including:

Dunedin

Christchurch

SkyCity Auckland

SkyCity Hamilton

SkyCity Queenstown

SkyCity Wharf

The legal age for gambling and for entry into casinos is 20 years. Most casinos require visitors to sign up for a membership and they are required to provide ID before they are accepted. Not all casinos offer all of the games available and the official Rules of Games apply to those that are.

The Department of Internal Affairs administers and enforces gambling regulations in New Zealand to ensure casino games are fair and honest primarily for the interest of the community. The laws and regulations towards gambling are based on the Gambling Act of 2003.

Different gambling games are classified according to the amount of money spent and the risk according to the outline in the Gambling Act. Class 1 gambling is that which is low-stake and low-risk with potential turnover or prizes not exceeding $500. Class 2 gambling is that in which prizes do not exceed $5,000 and turnover does not exceed $25,000. With Class 3 gambling, prizes offered or awarded exceed $5,000 and Class 4 gambling is that in which the gambler uses a machine that is located somewhere other than a casino.

Most of the tourists who engage in casino gambling during their visit to New Zealand do so for low-risk fun. Fortunately, there are opportunities to play a wide variety of the most popular casino games without a large investment at different casino locations.